The Acer Swift X is significantly less expensive, lighter, and offers solid performance for general use and light gaming with an RTX 3050 graphics card. However, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, while pricier, offers superior performance with a more powerful RTX 4070 graphics card, making it better suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks. Both laptops have similar screen sizes and resolutions, but the Legion has a higher refresh rate which could be important for fast-paced gaming. The Legion is heavier, which could affect portability. Your choice should be based on balancing your budget with your performance needs and how much you value portability. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2023)
Very good for content creation
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9/10
8.4/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is deemed very good for gaming and 3D tasks largely due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics unit and a screen with a higher refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and better performance for graphics-intensive tasks compared to the Acer Swift X which features a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 and a lower screen refresh rate. Despite that, both laptops have quality screens with the same resolution and panel type.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
8.5/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is better suited for engineering and design tasks as it features a high-end AMD Ryzen processor and an advanced Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, providing more robust performance for computationally intensive tasks compared to the Acer Swift X which, while still capable with its Intel i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, is less powerful. Additionally, the Legion Pro 5 boasts superior screen quality with higher brightness, contrast, and refresh rate, making it more suitable for design work that requires color accuracy and fluid visuals, although this comes at the cost of greater weight and lower portability compared to the more lightweight and portable Swift X.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
8.0/10
14.5in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X shines in general use and engineering tasks due to its high-resolution display and brightness, offering clear visuals and vibrant colors necessary for precise work; however, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness needed in gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 also presents a crisp, bright display with a wide color gamut that's ideal for detailed design work and comfortable everyday use, yet it doesn't prioritize the high refresh rate gamers need for fluid motion graphics. Both laptops provide the screen quality necessary for productivity and creative ventures but may not satisfy users looking for an optimal gaming experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has 3.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.5in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 costs $1,200.
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is well-suited for general use due to its relatively lightweight design, good battery life, and sharp, color-accurate IPS display, making it easy to carry with a satisfying visual experience for everyday tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, while heavier and with a shorter battery life, offers a larger and high-quality screen paired with a more powerful CPU and GPU combination that performs well for both general use and more demanding applications.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.8/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.4/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 compare to other laptops
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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